There's a saying among wine experts: "TYOP," or trust your own palate. Ultimately, only you can determine what’s good and bad in wine, so read what you can and attend tastings to discover which varietals and styles you like most. You'll figure out what's required for a wine to be above average or stellar along the way. Once you learn the basics, the rest is fairly subjective. Complexity (multidimensional flavors and aromas), balance and finish are what give a good wine its distinguishing characteristics. Over time, you'll be able to determine if a wine is flawed, how to properly pair food with wine, even which importer's products and which winemaker’s styles you have a preference for. You might even learn to identify the regional characteristics of a wine from a particular area.

Rumor has it the guv will take over which post in Washington? New Mexico may become home to what kind of controversial facility? What are kids getting high on these days? And which New Mexico industry needs help?

Is the city looking to hire private contractors to handle some of its recycling? Councilor Michael Cadigan wants to know. He started the Monday, Nov. 17 meeting by questioning Chief Operating Officer Ed Adams about the administration's plans. Adams said the city’s sorting facility is at maximum capacity, and the option's on the table. Cadigan said it would be better for the city to make money off recycling without going through a middleman. Farming the work to private companies, said Councilor Rey Garduño, sounds like privatization to him. Cadigan said he hoped the Council would be included in such a decision before the city signed what would have to be a big contract.

Dateline: Russia—Officials from the Russian Orthodox Church told BBC News that a 200-year-old church was recently stolen. The Church of the Resurrection had stood near the village of Komarovo since 1809. It was still standing in July, but some time in early October, thieves made off with it brick by brick. The disappearance of the historic church was not immediately noticed since it was in an out-of-the-way area and was not being used at the time. Church officials said they had been considering resuming services there. Unfortunately, all that remains now are the foundations and some sections of wall. It is assumed the church was sold off for building materials.

This Thanksgiving weekend, Albuquerque filmmakers David C. Valdez and Philip H.R. Gunn are pulling the curtain back on their crazed feature film debut, Klown Kamp Massacre. The campy horror/comedy will have its world premiere this Friday (10:30 p.m.), Saturday (10:30 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) at Guild Cinema in Nob Hill. According to the filmmakers (who oughta know), Klown Kamp Massacre “masterfully blends gratuitous sex, clown-on-clown violence and fart jokes.” Imagine Friday the 13thwith cream pies and you’re halfway there. The film stars local actors Ross Kelly, Isaac Kappy, Chris Payne, Jared Herholtz, Dan Gutierrez and Tara Hahn and includes a special cameo by Troma Films president Lloyd Kaufman. If blood, boobs and balloon animals aren’t enough to convince you to get out there and support local film, this weekend’s screenings will also feature the very first trailers for Phillip Hughes’ Jigoku and Ryan Denmark’s Romeo and Juliet vs. the Living Dead. Tickets are $8 and are available in advance at the Guild box office (3405 Central NE, 255-1848).

As you're reading this, you're most likely somewhere in the process of dealing with food; preparing, digesting, hoarding or reheating. Giving thanks for intangibles such as religious freedom and paid holidays is exhausting, which is reflected in the dearth of stuff going on this week. Once the first weekend of December hits, though, you'll be one busy consumer. So let me encourage you to avail yourself of the calm before the holiday storm (which may or may not be metaphorical) and enjoy these events at a leisurely, sated pace.

When it comes to vino, New Mexico has been in the ball game since 1629, when the first vines were planted in Socorro. This was years before the first Napa plantings were even a thought. Before you go jetting off to California’s wine country for your next tasting, investigate the ultra-hip regional wine destinations in your own backyard.